Written Answers

Friday 16 June 2000

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ambulance services throughout Scotland were fully consulted before proposals were drawn up concerning acute service reviews of hospitals.

Susan Deacon: This is a matter for the relevant health boards and their NHS Trusts.

  I have, however, made it clear that before taking decisions affecting local communities, it is essential that those who plan and provide services enter into full and meaningful consultation with all stakeholders.

Crofting

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Woodland Grant Scheme payments are available to landlords who resume crofting land against the wishes of the crofters.

Mr John Home Robertson: We are keen to encourage crofter forestry and hope that landlords and crofters can work together on forestry plans affecting crofting land. Woodland Grant Scheme payments are not available to landlords who resume crofting land against the wishes of the crofters and I have asked the Forestry Commission to make this clear to applicants. A similar rule applies to landlords who terminate agricultural tenancies by means of a contested notice to quit.

Education

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to resolve any difficulties relating to the implementation of the new Higher Still English course.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Many centres have already implemented new National Qualification courses in English and Communication – over 100 at Higher level, around 120 at Intermediate 2 level and over 70 at Intermediate 1 level.

  However, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is tackling concerns which have been raised about the new courses, and has set up a short-life group to look into any possible revisions to English and Communication courses within the existing framework.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive’s review of the first year of Higher Still implementation aims to identify both the programme’s strengths, and areas where improvement is required.

Education

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the report Education at a Glance 2000 , what steps it will take to ensure that a greater proportion of school curricula for pupils aged 12-14 is dedicated to maths and science.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In Scotland the curriculum is not prescribed, but national guidance is given.

  Although there are no plans to increase the time in the national guidance beyond the minimum allocation for Maths (10%) and for Environmental studies (30%), which includes Science, the guidance already includes a 20% flexibility factor, which remains after all minimum allocations have been made, which schools are encouraged to use to meet their own needs and circumstances.

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of funding it has provided in each of the last three years and the current financial year to the National Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The information requested is given in the tables below.

  Grant Aid Payments to Royal Blind School and Donaldsons College (£)

  Revenue

  

 

1997-98 


1998-99 


1999-2000 


2000-01 




Royal Blind 


1,383,376 


1,525,660 


1,500,000 


1,470,000 




Donaldsons 


886,566 


918,530 


1,056,208 


1,189,136 




  Note: figures represent the actual grant offer.

  Capital

  

 

1997-98 


1998-99 


1999-2000 


2000-01 




Royal Blind 


nil 


9,000 


29,896 


n/k 




Donaldsons 


26,305 


158,956 


1,067,008 


n/k 




  Final decision on capital awards for 2000-01 pending response to ministerial submission in respect of grant-aid.

  Note: figures represent the actual amounts paid.

Education

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to (a) tackle and (b) minimise disruptive classroom behaviour.

Peter Peacock: The Executive is taking several measures to minimise disruptive behaviour and improve discipline in schools. Improving discipline is one of the key elements of the Executive’s National Ethos Programme which also includes anti-bullying and attendance.

  Discipline does not only involve controlling the behaviour of pupils, but also instilling in them the desire to learn. Central to achieving this objective are several of the initiatives funded for the three-year period, 1999-2000–2001-02 under the Excellence Fund for Schools. The Core Programme includes three initiatives of particular relevance to the question of discipline, Alternatives to Exclusion (£23 million), Study Support (£27 million) and Supporting Parents (£15 million). The Special Programme involves Education Action Plans (£15 million) and New Community Schools (£26 million).

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of monies spent by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the past two years.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the monies spent by the Scottish Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the last two years.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.

Fertility Treatment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether couples living in different health board areas have the same access to NHS in vitro fertilisation services.

Susan Deacon: The report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services, which was issued to all health boards and NHS Trusts in Scotland earlier this year, recommends equity of access to services and treatment throughout Scotland. All health boards have been asked to work towards implementation of the recommendations as resources permit bearing in mind their existing clinical priorities which are cancer, coronary heart disease/stroke and mental health.

Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the rebate scheme relating to heavy oil.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has no function in respect to rebate schemes relating to heavy oil. This is a tax matter and therefore reserved.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information was made available to it on 5 May 2000 regarding GM contaminated crops; what was the nature of that information; to whom and by whom it was passed, and what action was then taken prior to the communication being received from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food on 15 May 2000.

Ross Finnie: An official from the Scottish Executive’s GM Co-ordination Team attends fortnightly liaison meetings on biotechnology issues involving officials from the UK Government and the devolved administrations. After the formal meeting on 5 May, he participated in a conversation with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions during which he learned of the possible problem.

  He was informed that an unspecified amount of Advanta rapeseed had been imported from Canada containing traces of a GM contaminant that only had clearance to be grown for research purposes in this country. It was understood that some of the contaminated seed might have been planted and that Scotland could be affected.

  This information was relayed to officials in the Food and Agriculture Group of my department who, during the course of the following week, pressed MAFF officials for further details. The full extent of the problem was elicited only on 15 May.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to identify any stores of Advanta rapeseeds that have been contaminated with GM rapeseeds held in this country and what measures it will take to ensure that stored seed is not sown or released into the food chain.

Ross Finnie: Any unused seed from the contaminated batches can be identified by farmers from information supplied by Advanta on affected seed lots. It would not be in the interests of farmers to plant contaminated seed and disposal and compensation issues should be addressed by Advanta and farmers.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to identify the crop sites sown with Advanta rapeseeds contaminated with GM rapeseeds and, if so, whether it will publish the locations of these sites.

Ross Finnie: We have sought information on crop sites from Advanta. Commercial confidentiality and data protection considerations notwithstanding, I do not believe it would add anything to the wider public understanding of this problem to publish the location of these sites.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be an acceptable level of seed purity in the case of conventional crop seeds in relation to contamination with GM seeds.

Ross Finnie: Current seed purity levels are specified in various regulations implementing several EC Directives. The EU Commission, in response to representations from the Scottish Executive and the UK Government, is expected to produce shortly proposals to tighten up seed purity legislation to ban GMO contamination at levels of more than 0.5% as an interim measure.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any information from parties other than Advanta UK on the contamination of conventional Advanta rapeseed with genetically modifed rapeseed and, if so, when each such party first made such information available.

Ross Finnie: Since 15 May, in addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, I have received information from the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs, the National Farmers Union of Scotland, the Scottish Crop Research Institute and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, prior to being made aware of the contamination of conventional Advanta rapeseed with genetically modified seed, it had been aware of similar incidents involving crop seeds imported into other European Union member states and, if so, when it became aware of each such incident.

Ross Finnie: One of my officials attended a meeting of the EU Seed Certification Agencies in Italy on 4 May, when he heard that Greece had a problem with GM contaminated cotton seed imported from the USA.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether current legislation on liability is sufficient in cases where (a) conventional crop seed is contaminated with GM crop seed; (b) conventional crops are cross-pollinated by GM crops, and (c) conventional crops are contaminated with genetic material from GM crops as a result of other forms of gene flow.

Ross Finnie: The question of liability is a matter of civil law and will depend on the specific circumstances in individual cases.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it had in place before 18 May 2000 to inform farmers of the contamination of conventional Advanta rapeseeds with GM rapeseeds and whether these plans have been modified since this date.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive was not informed of the contaminated seed until 15 May. My officials discussed the problem with the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland shortly thereafter, and have continued to liaise closely with it.

Genetically Modified Crops

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory body or bodies had a legal duty or responsibility prior to 17 April 2000 to ensure the seed purity of imported supplies in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: Both before and after 17 April 2000, the legal duty and responsibility to ensure the seed purity of imported supplies lies with the seeds authorities in the producer country and with the seed merchant marketing the seed in this country.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the composition is of the Scottish Executive group which will appraise the bids under the new Housing Partnership proposals.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The New Housing Partnerships Steering Group comprises representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland, Scottish Homes and the Scottish Executive, plus one independent member with direct experience of a large scale transfer, the Chief Executive of Broomleigh Housing Association.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the composition is of the panel of independent advisers approved by Scottish Homes for the purpose of providing independent tenant advice in the housing stock transfer process.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The table below lists the approved members of Scottish Homes’ panel of independent advisors from which its tenants are able to select their preferred adviser. Tenants and/or their representative groups are not required to select solely from this panel, and can appoint an adviser not on Scottish Homes’ list. However, such an adviser is required to provide Scottish Homes with evidence that it possesses the full range of expertise and skills required by approved panel members.

  


Organisation 




Anne Flint & Associates 




Arneil Johnston 




Calvay Co-operative Ltd 




Chapman Hendy Associates 




Cube HA 




Housing Association Consultancy 
and Advisory Service (HACAS) 




Hilland Ritchie 




Housing Plus 




Mason Rose-Troup Advisers 




Organisational Development and 
Support (ODS) 




Russell Rowbotham Associates 




Tenants Information Service (TIS) 




The new Housing Services 




Tenants’ Participation and Advisory 
Service (TPAS) 




Waverley Housing Management

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on elected provosts.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive’s policy on directly-elected provosts or leaders is being considered as part of the post-McIntosh consultation exercise. Our position will be announced shortly.

Local Government Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reform the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to provide local authorities with the same provisions as exist under section 12 of that Act for billing authorities in Wales so that local authorities will have the same discretion as those in Wales to take a different approach to discounts in respect of second or holiday homes by either reducing the discount from 50% to 25% or giving no discount at all; whether it will further reform the Act to allow local authorities who do exercise such powers to retain any additional revenue yielded as a result of the reduction or elimination of discounts on second or holiday homes and, if not, why not.

Mr Jack McConnell: We have no plans to make changes to the local taxation system at present. The Welsh system does not allow local authorities to retain any additional revenue gained by exercising this power.

Mental Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many long-term beds are intended to be retained in the NHS for the care of patients with mental health problems, broken down by health board area.

Iain Gray: It is for each health board, in consultation with their NHS Trusts and local authority care partners, to determine, on an ongoing basis, the levels of hospital and community-based care required to match the assessed and ongoing needs of their local population.

Pensions

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications for local authorities are of the recent decision by the European Court of Justice that employers must backdate employees’ membership of company pension schemes to 1976.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 16 May 2000 relates to certain questions referred to the ECJ by the House of Lords in connection with test cases concerning part-time workers’ rights of access to occupational pension schemes.

  As the cases raised issues concerning the compatibility of domestic law and European law, the House of Lords considered it appropriate to refer certain questions to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling. The questions related to the time limit for making claims for membership of a scheme and the extent of the limitation on the backdating of the claims. The UK Courts had originally ruled that any claims must be brought during, or within six months of leaving, employment and that backdated access is limited to two years from the date of application.

  The ECJ has ruled that while the six months time limit is compatible with European law, the two-year period of retrospection is not. It will now be for the House of Lords to decide whether the six month limit should stand and what the period of retrospection should be. Until then it will not be possible to assess the implications for local authorities generally, and the Local Government Pension Scheme in particular.

Prison Service

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage difference is between the rates of remuneration for doctors practising in the Scottish Prison Service and NHS general practitioners and why there is a difference in rates of remuneration for these two groups of doctors.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether pay rates for doctors providing healthcare in the Scottish Prison Service will accurately reflect equivalent rates in the NHS.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a matter for the Scottish Prison Service who say that the remuneration of Prison Medical Officers in Scotland compares favourably with that of NHS General Practitioners.

Schools

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it is undertaking to reduce the incidence of vandalism in schools.

Peter Peacock: The education authorities are responsible for the management of school premises, and they have knowledge of the range of measures which they can consider to reduce vandalism in schools. However, the most appropriate measures will depend on the local circumstances of individual schools.

Section 2A

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the working group established to provide further reassurance about the proposed repeal of section 2A has completed its review of the existing curriculum material and whether its report will be made public.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I am pleased to announce that the working group has completed its second and final report which I have received today. The working group has reviewed the existing curriculum materials and made recommendations about further materials and improved procedures. They have also recommended key principles and aims for sex education, to be incorporated in the guidance circular.

  I am very grateful to all the members of the working group who have looked at these important issues in a thorough and professional manner. I welcome the report and the recommendations which have the unanimous support of all members of the group. I am happy to accept the recommendations in full.

  A copy of the report is being made available to MSPs and can be found in SPICe.

Voluntary Sector

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing funding for the voluntary sector organisations which it supports and for its Executive agencies on a three-yearly rather than annual basis.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive has a commitment to creating a more stable funding environment for the voluntary sector, including providing three-year funding packages where appropriate. The Scottish Compact sets out the principles underpinning the relationship between Government and the voluntary sector in Scotland. As part of its implementation, good practice guidance on funding has been consulted on and was published this week. The Scottish Executive and Executive agencies have a responsibility to ensure that they have plans to implement the Compact.

Warm Deal

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the situation whereby households which contain adults who qualify for disability living allowance (DLA) are eligible for grant assistance under the Warm Deal for Scotland (WDS), but households which contain children who qualify for DLA, but whose parents do not, are not eligible for grant assistance under the WDS.

Mr Frank McAveety: I will consider carefully the issue raised and write directly to the member, placing copies of my reply in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.